


Please Don't Give Up Hope

by ChaoticLesbian



Series: Criminal Minds [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Elle, Elle greenaway deserved better i'm just saying, Elle has a younger sister, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt Elle Greenaway, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Female Character, LGBTQ Themes, Pagan Gods, Paganism, Whump, she comes up in later fics too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27480334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticLesbian/pseuds/ChaoticLesbian
Summary: ᴛʜᴇ car ᴡᴀꜱ ᴇᴇʀɪʟʏ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ʜᴀᴅ ᴅᴇᴀʟᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴜɴꜱubs, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴊᴏʙ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟWhen a particularly dangerous unsub takes one of their own, the team have to work against the clock to try and get her back, before it’s too late.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Original Female Character(s), Derek Morgan & Original Female Character(s), Elle Greenaway & Aaron Hotchner, Elle Greenaway & Derek Morgan, Elle Greenaway & Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Elle Greenaway & Original Female Character(s), Elle Greenaway & Spencer Reid, Elle Greenaway & The BAU Team, Elle Greenaway/Orginal Female Character(s), Jason Gideon & Elle Greenaway, Jason Gideon & Original Female Character(s), Jennifer "JJ" Jareau & Original Female Character(s), Penelope Garcia & Original Female Character(s), Penelope Garcia/Elle Greenaway, Spencer Reid & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Criminal Minds [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008030
Kudos: 11





	Please Don't Give Up Hope

Wren let herself flop across the sofa that had been placed in the break room. Spencer laughed at her antics before turning back to read his book.  
"Do any of y'all know where Elle is?' Wren said sitting up, a faint smile playing at her lips. JJ turned from where she was watching the TV to smirk at Spencer. If Wren noticed the look, she didn't comment on it.  
"She's with Hotch at the moment, they're just finishing up something in one of her cases then she will be here." Wren nodded laying back down, only to sit up again a minute later when Elle walked through the door.  
"Elle!" She greeted with a smile and Morgan joined in the smirk the others were sharing. It seemed like everyone knew about their feelings, except for those two.  
"Hey." Elle said with a soft smile towards the other girl, seemingly unaware of everyone else in the room. Once she was sat down, Wren laid back down, letting her head rest in Elle's lap.  
"We're here too Elle." Garcia said with a laugh and a blush covered Elles cheeks.  
"Hi guys." The rest of the team spoke away but all Wren could focus on was the feeling of the other agents hands slowly running through her hair as her eyelids became harder to keep open.  
"You falling sleep there Woods?" Morgan laughed, Wren's only response was launching a pillow at his face.  
"Point taken." It wasn't brought up again and Elle continued to softly draw patterns into her hair. Wren had only joined the BAU a few months ago but she's already made a huge impression on the team. Especially Elle. The team never really saw them apart and when they were, it wasn't for long.  
“Guys, meeting, we have a case.” Hotch said interrupting the silence as he headed into the meeting room, everyone quickly standing up and following behind.  
“There have been a series of killings. They all shared about a week apart from each murder but the last three have been only 24 hours apart. The first victim of our latest three is Sara Elliots. She is a twenty four year old white female. Unmarried no kids. The second is Rebekah Leo. She is a thirty year old while female. Married, No kids. And the most recent victim: Mikaela Roberts. A twenty eight year old white female. Again married, no kids. The one thing that links all eight murders, a single jack playing card found in each of the victims hand.” Gideon told them and Elle felt a chill run down her spine. Wren noticed the change in her posture and subtly intertwined their fingers, not taking her eyes away from the front. She felt Elle gently squeeze her hand and she returned the gesture.  
“Why the joker card?” Morgan asked.  
“Could be a link back to the Unsubs childhood?” Reid suggested and everyone stated at him, waiting for a further explanation.  
“Maybe he was raised in an abusive household. The joker or the playing card playing a role in that abuse. There is a 74.3% chance that leaving it in the hand has some kind of link back to a childhood trauma. Find that link,”  
“Find out who it is.” Hotch finished for him.  
“Exactly.”  
“Let’s go.”

The team arrived shortly at the last victims house, the area still taped off.  
“Cause of death, strangulation. Belongings were ransacked but nothing but her wedding ring was stolen.” Hotch told them.  
“Wedding ring?” Wren asked.  
“Maybe as a trophy?” Elle piped up from her position on the stairs.  
“Maybe. See what you can find.” 

The team all went off in their own directions to search the house. Hotch and Gideon took the far right, Morgan, Wren and JJ took the Left and Elle and Spencer took different sides of the second floor.  
The first thing Elle noticed as she walked into the first room was the way all belongings were carelessly thrown across the floor. She made sure to check everything for any sign of something but came out empty handed. No files, no possible link to who could have killed her. The second bedroom was the same as the first. The bed unmade and thrown across the bed-frame, most things turfed from their positions in draws or on desks. There was a single glove left on the corner of an open window and after bagging it, she continued to search the room. She had almost finished scanning the room when a small creak made her turn quickly towards the door.  
"Spencer?"  
"Reid?" There was no reply. She shrugged it off and turned back around, checking the last desk, not noticing the shadow movement in the closet. Not hearing the door slowly open. 

She should have checked the closet before turning her back. She shouldn’t have let her guard down, so many things she should or shouldn't've done ran through her head as a hand wrapped around her from behind, stopping her from screaming out for help. She struggled against the unsub’s grasp, trying anything she could to get herself free. She wasn’t strong enough and the unsub easily over powered her, dragging her backwards out of the house and towards the awaiting van. She watched as Spencer turned at the last moment watching her being dragged into the back. But before he could call for help. The Unsub yelled to get a move on and soon the van was speeding away, away from the safety of her team.

Spencer sprinted after the van, even when his legs began to burn and his lungs felt like they were going to fail, he still didn't stop running, screaming Elle's name. He watched as the van disappeared around multiple corners. Morgan finally caught up with to Spencer, not knowing why the genius had started running in the first place.  
“Reid?” He out his hand on Spencer’s shoulder while he tried to catch his breath.  
“He has her. The unsub. He took Elle.” Dread ran through Morgan and he immediately pulled out his phone.  
“Morgan?”  
“Hotch. It’s Elle. The unsub got her.” 

Hotch’s face dropped. Him, Gideon, Wren and JJ were all stood together on the side of the road after hearing the commotion.  
“Hotch?” Gideon asked.  
“Elles been taken.” 

Wren hadn't spoken a single word since Gideon had said those three dreaded words. The team knew how much she felt for the agent, even if she didn't see it herself at times. They were always together; bouncing ideas off each other, telling each other stupid jokes. Protecting each other. It was a bond that no other member of the BAU had with either of them.  
The car was eerily quiet. The team had dealt with a range of unsubs, it was their job after all, but this was different. This was personal. They had all collectively agreed that it would be better to go back to the station to work out a game plan before doing anything else.  
“It’s not your fault Spence, nor is it yours Wren.” JJ whispered sadly, the guilt radiating off the two next to her. Wren just continued to stare out the window as Spencer replied.  
“If I’d of been just a bit faster. If I’d of stayed upstairs instead of coming down to check the Yard.”  
“You were doing your job Spencer. Besides, they had a vehicle, there was nothing you could’ve done.” No more words were spoken until they arrived at the station. 

“Sir.” One of the officers met them at the door. “One of our agents has been taken.” Gideon informed, leading the team to the other uniformed officers. 

“So what do we know?” An officer asked.  
“From what we saw at the crime scene and from talking to people before our agent was taken, we can say that all these women attended the same therapist over the course of the past month or so.” Gideon explained before Hotch took over.  
“We can take a guess at his motives. All these women attended the same therapists if our unsub worked there, then he knows their weakness’. Any troubles or worries they have. He has a motive, he picked these women for specific reasons.”  
“What about your agent?” Someone asked and a Hotch saw Wren tense out the corner of his eye.  
“Collateral. He took her to try and throw us off his path. Distract us.”  
“From the time that relatives last saw the victims and before their deaths were reported. We reckon we have around 6 or 7 hours to get our agent back and solve his identity before she becomes a victim.” Wren felt her whole body stiffen and she quietly stood up and left the room. Hotch nodded at Spencer and he quietly got up, heading after the agent.  
"Wren?" He asked carefully when he found her curled into a ball. Her body was shaking slightly and Spencer immediately caught on to what was happening.  
"Wren. I need you to try and focus on your breathing. In, and out. In, and out." He sat opposite her, making sure she had enough room to not feel suffocated. Wren did her best to try and follow his breathing but her mind still felt disconnected from her body.  
"Hold me?" She mumbled out so quietly , Spencer only just managed to catch onto what she was saying. He didn't say anything else as he carefully shuffled towards her an held her tightly in his arms. They both lost track of time. It simultaneously felt like no time and all the time in the world had passed.  
"Elle normally helps me through these." Wren whispered once she finally got her breath back.

The next hour was slow. It mainly consisted of collecting evidence and trying to put together what they currently knew.  
"Woods, we're taking a trip to go and talk with the therapist. Coming?" Morgan asked, poking his head around the doorframe.  
"Of course." She stood up quickly, pulling her coat from the back of her chair. Her mind needed distracting. Her thoughts only revolved around Elle and they always jumped to the worst case scenarios.

They arrived at the therapists in record time, flashing their badges as they walked in.  
“FBI. We’re here to see a Dr. Harper.” Gideon informed sternly to the woman behind the desk.  
“Of course. Down the corridor, take a right and then it’s the third door to the left.” Gideon nodded, quickly making his way to the office, the team just as determined. He knocked three times before the door swung open.  
“Dr. Harper?” Hotch asked and the woman nodded, opening the door to let them in.  
“I’m SSA agent Hotchner, this is Agent Gideon, Agent Woods and agent Dr. Reid. We need to talk to you about a recent case that’s been brought to our attention.” The woman nodded, seemingly knowing what they were talking about.

"Fuck You!" Elle cried as the kidnapper pulled his hand away from her face. It felt like they had been on the road for hours. Her outburst earned her a slap round the face. She didn't flinch. She didn't cry. She just sat emotionless. These people weren't going to take pity on her. Not only was she just another weak woman to them, she was also an FBI agent which made them hate her even more.  
"Tell me." One of the kidnappers said, staring intently at her.  
"What do you think it would take to break the little girlfriend of yours." Elle's heart dropped through her stomach. A look of horror passed her face for a split second, it didn't go unnoticed.  
"I see we hit a nerve." Elle didn't say anything.  
"Maybe if we brought her with us too-"  
"Stay the hell away from her!" She growled, not caring that she was giving them what they wanted.  
"Protective are we? Maybe we should go back and get her. I'm sure that would be the key to breaking you."  
"Please. Leave her alone."  
"Resorted to begging. Pathetic." Her mind told her.

“Sir, I think you’re going to want to see this.” Garcia announced quickly, bursting into the room.  
“Garcia?” Gideon stood up and followed after. She showed them what had been sent to her computer and Spencer had to catch Wren before she fell to the floor. Her words caught in her throat and only a small, “Elle” managed to fall through her lips. On the screen was an image of Elle, many wounds visible. She was dressed down to just a pair of shorts and a tight vest top. She was curled in the corner, either asleep on unconscious. Below the image were a set of co-ordinates.  
“Co ordinates. You don’t think it-“  
“Leads to Elle?” Spencer finished Morgan’s sentence, still holding the young agent in his arms.  
“I guess we’re about to find out.” Hotch said , quickly following Gideon out to the garage.

The atmosphere between them was tense and apprehensive as the car sped off at top speed. Wren's leg was shaking and she sat on the edge of her seat. Needing to see her friend safe.  
“I want to believe as much as the rest of you that it will be Elle we’ll find at the co-ordinates but-“ Spencer didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to, the thought had already passed on a loop through each team members head. Wren tried not to think about what they could be walking in to find.


End file.
